Icarus Mod playtest-AAR, Moongaz3r vs Jazon

[moon1]

But probably the biggest news of this summer were not from the battlefields. After long and meticulous negotiations, Kaiser convinced the King of Norway Haakon VII and his ministers that abiding to the British demands will only bring ruin to the Norwegian economy in the long run and they should side with Germany, which was victorious at all fronts and surely would win the war by 1917. On 29th of June Norway severed all ties with the UK and on the next day declared war against Britain and France. Kaiser reassured the King that no Norwegians will take part in land war in Europe but his navy should provide their ships and their bases to the Germans in order to push the Royal Navy out of the North Sea. Soon German airships and planes have started to arrive at ports and High Seas Fleet made a permanent refitting base at Oslo. The UK was outraged and reinforced its blockade even more, putting the ships to the coast of Iceland and Scotland as well. Looks like the decisive battle is imminent...

Diplotrain goes to Norway. Choo-choo!

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Finally.

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[moon1]

August-September 1916

As the summer was coming to end, fighting was reaching its apex across all fronts. Central Powers, victorious across all fronts throughout the war, were about to face their first serious problems as the strategic battle for initiative commences...

In the west, German forces were in a tight spot. Though Boulogne Offensive brought them to the gates of Amiens, they lacked the reserves to really make use of this victory. British have suffered heavy losses but not their French allies.

Germans dangerously overextended themselves

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French Chief of Staff Joffre threw everything he had in a rapid counteroffensive. German lines were stretched thin and soon the real danger of French breakthrough was looming as during the late days of August two regiments of German heavy artillery were raided and destroyed. Without this firepower, not only any hopes of keeping Amiens bridgehead were lost but the entire integrity of the Western front was put into question.

French counterattack hits hard

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This is a black day for the German army

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Under this heavy pressure, German Chief of Staff Von Falkenhayn made a heavy decision to abandon all their gains of 1916 campaign and even retreat from the positions which Germany helf since 1914. German army had retreated to Belgian border where it regrouped and formed new defensive line. The battle on the Western front ended in Entente tactical and strategic victory.

Von Falkenhayn commands full retreat. Soldiers abandon this ground, for which they fought and bled for the entire year.

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[moon1]

Troubling news were coming from the Balkans as well. It was no secret for Germany and Austria-Hungary that Romania was negotiating with the French and Russians about her entrance into the war. And though K.u.K. Army was gaining ground both in Serbia and in Italy, Romanians were convinced that Habsburg Empire was stretched thin and would immediately collapse if only given a little push. In the early days of August Romania declared mobilisation and now the war with them was imminent. Von Krobatin was forced to stop his offensive in Serbia as Austrian Chief of Staff Von Hotzendorf ordered the creation of a new army from regiments across all fronts which was immediately deployed in Transylvania.

Romania enters the war

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Though Romanian forces had intial success due to the sheer number of their troops, forcing Austro-Hungarians to abandon Kronstadt, any further advance was halted. And already in September Von Krobatin resumed his drive on Serbia, getting closer and closer to Nish. Looks like Romanians didn't break the status-quo after all.

Yet it didn't stop the offensive of Austro-Hungarians. Onwards!

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[moon1]

The only place, where Central Powers really had success during these two months, was Italy. On 12th of August Austrian soldiers entered Venice, much to the shock of Italian public who were repeatedly told that no German barbarian would soil this pearl of Adriatic. Yet the soldiers don't have time for riding boats across Venice's channels and doing sightseeing, as the offensive carries them forward to the cities of Lombardy. Looks like the promises of Prince Rupprecht about knocking Italy out of the war can turn out ot be true after all.

Venice has fallen!

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And Verona soon will surely follow.

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[moon1]

Meanwhile on the Caucasian front silence has fallen upon the battlefields for now. Russians are regrouping and pulling forward their forces to launch an assault on Erzurum. Ottomans are stretched thin but heavily dug in and ready to fight till the last man.

Erzurum will be held!

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Action was happening across the North Sea as well. German airships and bombers were constantly harassing British subs near Norwegian coast while battleships, which arrived to the naval bases of Bergen and Stavanger, now posed a threat to the raiders in this area. The situation was growing more and more difficult for the Royal Navy as time was passing...

These bases have proven to be very useful in establishing control over these waters.

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[moon1]

October-November 1916

As the autumn rolled in, so do the French and the British Armies. After German retreat back to Belgian-French border, allies tried to break through the new defensive lines, yet this offensive turned out to be quite disastrous for them. Germans leant their hard lesson and sent both new weaponry and more men to reinforce their positions, so these attack didn't win any ground and resulted in big losses. It looks like they will hold the front but the entire German summer offensive debacle causes a lot of questions to Chief of Staff Von Falkenhayn...

Technological superiority really saved the Western front from further disintegration.

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French and British paid highly for their overconfidence.

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Entente was also attacking at Transylvania. Serbian forces, which were pushed earlier this summer out of their homeland into Romania, conducted a flanking maneuver, trying to cut the defenders of Hermannstad. However, rough mountain terrain and stretched supply lines prevented them from causing any real damage besides concern of Hungarian Parliament. With the arrival of fresh troops, it seems that this offensive will lead to nothing.

A daring and dangerous move but Austro-Hungarian command doesn't possess troops at the moment to punish the enemy for risk-taking.

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Without proper artillery support, Romanians won't push further.

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[moon1]

On the Italian Front Central Powers, as always, held the initiative. On November 18th Verona had fallen to German soldiers and panic was starting to set in among Italian population. Till this point this war has brought nothing but death, pain and dishonor to Italy and cries for peace were becoming more and more common. To save Italy from defeat, Britain and France have started to form the Allied expeditionary force in Lombardy. Meanwhile Prince Rupprecht was forced to stop the offensive for the first time since April since battle attrition was starting to take toll of his forces. Both him and Austro-Hungarian commander Dankl have put forward their petitions for additional reinforcements in order to finish Italy off for good.

Verona is ours and Italian NM falls under 50%!

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If enemy was to hit right now, all of the successes would be nullified. It's time to dig in and regroup.

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The only real success Italians had in this war was on sea and in the air. Several attacks of naval bombers and saboteurs-frogmen in Adriatic ports severely crippled Austro-Hungarian Navy.

It would be really humiliating if K.u.K Navy was defeated without ever sailing to the open sea.

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[moon1]

Offensive actions were renewed on the Eastern Front as well. Though the forces, which were deployed there, were inadequate for a full-scale offensive, general Von Mackensen was determined that even with limited number of soldiers and several artillery regiments he would able to take Kiev - capital of Russian Ukraine.

It doesn't look like Russians are capable of counterattacking, so we can take the ground bit by bit.

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Far to the south the Ottoman Empire was still under siege by British forces and Arab insurgents. On October 20th British initiated the battle of Gaza, trying to push through the Turkish defensives but failed to do so. Arabs were gathering strength at the gates of Palestine and in Mesopotamia they were on the move with their British allies, as the arrival of adequate artillery support forced the Ottomans to abandon their forward positions and fall back to Baghdad.

These positions look really fragile.

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Ottomans trade territory for time but abandoning Baghdad is off the table. Looks like they desperately need some reinforcements here.

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[moon1]

These months were also quite busy in the North Sea. German recon planes and airships were patrolling constantly across the cold northern waters while their ships and submarines used Norwegian bases to their full extent, constantly harassing the Royal Navy. And though for now there were no big losses inflicted, bit by bit the High Seas Fleet was seizing the initiative from the British.

The water is boiling. We'll see when they will lose their temper and retaliate.

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[moon1]

December-January 1916-1917

In the aftermath of 1916 campaign in France, von Falkerhayn was sacked as Chief of Staff and replaced by Paul von Hindenburg. Western Front went silent once more but shells and bullets flew across the battlefields of Italy, Serbia, Ukraine, Transylvania, Palestine and Mesopotamia. And in these month many more new battlefields would be added to that count as Bulgaria had joined the war.

Bulgaria entered the war

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Bulgarians, concerned with Romanian entry into the war, were fiercely negotiating with Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire all this time. Though outraged, they were still concerned with British presence in Serbia and Russian support for Romania. Only after the Central Powers made a promise that Austria-Hungary will immediately initiate an offensive towards Nish and Turks will provide help in Dobruja, Bulgaria declared mobilization of her forces and declared war on Serbia and Romania.

But Entente was ready to such development. Prior to the declaration of war Russians moved a lot of their troops to Dobruja in absolute secrecy. This newly formed army under general Yudenich, one of the best of Russian commanders, deployed on their forward positions prior to the declaration of war and smashed into Bulgarian lines in the late days of December. Russians immediately overran the defenders and on January 2nd entered Varna. The fall of the second biggest city in Bulgaria sent panic waves across both Bulgarians and Turks, since the defeat at Varna opened the road to Istanbul. Hastely a new Ottoman army was forming around Burgas and Adrianople.

Russian breakthrough at Varna puts both Bulgaria and the Ottomans at great risk

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[moon1]

In the East Germans and Russians were engaged in the battle for Kiev. The advance of general von Mackensen was being halted by Russian numerical superiority but Germans and Austro-Hungarians held the advantage in artillery and that was the real decisive factor in modern warfare. Yet still, despite Russian heavy losses, Kiev stood defiant.

Germans reach outskirts of Kiev.

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Russian counterattack. Snow halts any further offensive action but the city is till under serious threat.

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[moon1]

Meanwhile in Italy Prince Rupprecht was being pushed back from Brescia yet at the same time gaining ground near Bologna. Heavy snows stop any meaningful attacks from both sides and soldiers are settling in for the winter.

Italian Front settles in for the winter.

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At the same time German navy was crippling forward and forward, clearing the path for merchantships. North of Scotland u-boats sank several damaged obsolete French battleships which were enforcing the blockade. Looks like now there is no safe space for Entente ships in the North Sea.

U-boats on the hunt.

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[shri]

Superb AAR, any update on who won?

I think, Moongaz3r left Serbia alone for too long and Jazon did that brilliant invasion of Dobruja and a brilliant counter-attack at Amiens using the French. Not to mention a good Arabian assault.

Moon managed to crush Russia well and do a good naval game.

[MoongazerSlitherineSSL]

Superb AAR, any update on who won?

I think, Moongaz3r left Serbia alone for too long and Jazon did that brilliant invasion of Dobruja and a brilliant counter-attack at Amiens using the French. Not to mention a good Arabian assault.

Moon managed to crush Russia well and do a good naval game.

Hi there! (and to everyone who was reading this AAR)
A bit late on an update but better late than never, huh
Got caught in personal problems and burned out a little bit, so I haven't managed to finish this AAR in time and had to make a pause in my wargaming career. Recently I dug out my old hard drive and found the remaining screenshots of our game, so I have decided to give this match some sort of a closure. Here it goes!

[MoongazerSlitherineSSL]

Turks mostly managed to recover and dig in despite their setbacks.

[MoongazerSlitherineSSL]

Probably the main highlight of 1917 was the naval clash between Royal Navy and Kaiserliche Marine. I was preparing for a long time and in the end managed not only to lift the blocade but also to surround the British Isles and disrupt shipping there. Norway ports were of big help in breaking the deadlock.

[MoongazerSlitherineSSL]

In the east it was over for Russians. Kiev fell in May 1917, as well as any will to fight.

[MoongazerSlitherineSSL]

Balkan front was a major headache for Central Powers until the very end. But at least I managed to link Austria and Germany with their allies to the south.

[MoongazerSlitherineSSL]

Italian front was collapsing. I remember that I even captured Milan at the very end of the game, though no screens of that event were left

[MoongazerSlitherineSSL]

And in the west it was the same meatgrinder. After Russian withdrawal from the war, German army (and panzers!) smashed into France. With Italy surrendering soon after, me and Jazon decided to call it quits there. US, as usual in WW1 matches which end up in CP victory, didn't really get a chance to fight.